Love is a Lai
by Xenolord
Summary: Rikku and Paine go to Zanarkand to find a Sphere LeBlanc told them about. Angst. RiPa Pairing


Disclaimer: This is mainly written to show Kouga up about his so-called "Angst". I have nothing against Rikku or Paine... but someone has to do Angst properly. And I guess that's me.

Love is a Lai

It was a hard-fought day. 'Fought' in the figurative sense. Rikku and Paine had stopped being Sphere Hunters for some time, leaving the dangerous jobs to those stupid enough to actually do it, example; LeBlanc. The sun was sinking behind the ocean as the two curled up into bed. Rikku smiled, her arm wrapped around her vampire-lookalike lover. Her loving emerald eyes were shut tight against the darkness.

"Mmmm..." She sighed, getting comfortable. "Long day... sleep good for Rikku..." Rikku spoke in the third-person, drifting off to sleep instantly.

-A Mist Filled, Dark Corridor-

"I can't believe you!" A raspy voice called to Paine. "Why?! Why that... that... THING of all things?! You've always been this way! I can't believe I ever saw anything in you, you... whore!" The voice continued

-Residence of Paine and Rikku-

Paine awoke with a start. Something had disturbed her sleep, and it was enough to wake even Rikku from REM sleep. The Al Bhed looked up at her.

"What's wrong, Dr. P?" Rikku asked playfully. Paine shook the vision from her mind and laid back down.

"Nothing... Dreams. That's all." She kissed Rikku and rolled back over, trying to get back to sleep. Slightly unconvinced, but thinking the answer was good enough for now, Rikku followed suit, her eyes closing.

-That Morning-

Paine awoke to her back cracking and popping in protest. She growled against the pain and stood up, trying to work her back to normal. She gritted her teeth and turned for the door.

"'Morning, Dr. P!" Rikku shouted from the door. Paine smiled. Rikku's voice was that of an angel singing a song only for her.

"'Mornin' beautiful." The red-eyed Paine replied, walking towards her and planting a kiss on her lips.

"Sleep well?" Rikku asked playfulling, leading Paine into the main room.

"Slept well, yes, woke up well, no. I've got a mean crink in my back..." She muttered, trying to crack or stretch it out.

"Oh, oh, here. Brother taught me a way to get rid of it!" She turned Paine around and placed both hands on her shoulders. She lifted her knee up and placed it on the small of Paine's back, pushing. The insuing pop echoed in the room.

"GAH!" Paine shouted, her face contorting in agony. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" She complied, rubbing her back.

"Did that fix it?" Rikku smiled, thinking she helped. Paine paused for a moment. As the initial pain subsided, the crink in her back was gone.

"Actually, once you get past the agonizing pain at the beginning, yes, it is gone." Rikku smiled satisfied at her job-well-done and received another kiss as thanks. "So, what's lined up for today."

"We got a mail from LeBlanc of all people. She says there's a Sphere in the Zanarkand Ruins. I called Yunie this morning, she says we're closer, we should go after it."

"Your cousin is lazy, you know that?"

"Yea, but I love her still. So, interested?" Rikku looked pleadingly at Paine.

"Seems like I don't have much of a choice..." The blond Al Bhed smiled and jumped into the air with joy. "Who's picking us up?"

"Buddy said he'll swing by with the Celsius. He's on his way in that area anyway." Paine nodded.

-Zanarkand-

Zanarkand was exactly as the two had left it six months ago. Still in ruins, and still crawling with Fiends. Thankfully, the majority of the Fiends knew suicide when they saw it, and opted not to attack the two.

The location of the Sphere was said to be in the depths of the ruins. Upon closer investigation, this proved false. Either, LaBlanc lied, or someone got to it first. Neither seemed true.

"I thought that the letter would bring you running like cattle." A cold voice droned. The pair turned around to see the outline of a relatively young man carrying a quarterstaff. He advanced into the light.

"B... Baralai?!" Paine spat out, half in spite, half in surprise. The figure was of Baralai, the former Praetor of New Yevon. "What are you doing here?" Baralai circle-strafed around them.

"I just came back from the Farplane. I had to make one hell of a bargain with the Ferryman. But it would have been worth it. I would come back to sweep you off your feet, Paine! Just like before! This whole Vegnagun thing is behind us! I thought we could be friends again. And what do I find when I see you next? You've found yourself another... play thing." He smirked coldly, sadistically. His quarterstaff at the ready.

"'Play Thing'?" Rikku asked. "What's he talkin' about Paine?" Paine only scowled at Baralai before answering.

"Baralai and I used to date. Before he became such a dick." Paine replied. Baralai scoffed.

"I? I became a dick? I? I became a...? Oh, ho ho ho, Paine. You've got a lot of nerve saying that. YOU'RE the one who MADE me into that dick! YOU! You and your... 'friends'." He gritted his teeth against the word. He slammed his quarterstaff into the ground and cracked his knuckles. "It looks like the only way I can have you again, is if I remove the competition!" He charged at Rikku with his staff. The Thief barely had time to draw a knife to deflect the strike.

"BARALAI!" Paine shouted, joining in the fight on Rikku's side.

Rage was a powerful ally. It made it's friends fast and strong. But also took away reason, resolve and most importantly, memory. Baralai didn't hear Paine's cries for him to stop, he just kept attacking, pushing Rikku closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. As he struck, he repeated obscenities occasionally punctuated by the words 'slut', 'whore', 'demon', 'witch' or worse. Rikku took the interlude of one attack to look behind her. That cliff was getting closer. Before she could go over, she leapt over the former Praetor's head and kicked him in the back.

"You'll PAY for taking Paine away from me, you Al Bhed whore!" He shouted, charging again. "Only DEATH can fix your mistake! YOUR death!" He continued. Paine was trying to get into the fight, but Baralai was attacking to fast for Paine to get a hit in, she just kept missing and driving the edge of her sword into the ground behind him.

"BARALAI! Get a hold of yourself!" Paine shouted. Again, he ignored her, swiping his staff around and knocking Rikku in the side, sending her tumbling to the ground. Paine lept into the air to cleave him in half. Sensing this, the Praetor turning round.

"LOOMING GLACIER!" He shouted, jamming his quarterstaff into Paine's gut. She fell to the ground on all fours, and was frozen. "And now... you will BOTH learn the penalty for shunning me." He advanced on the winded and hurt Rikku, twirling his staff around. Rikku looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Her vision darted from the frozen Paine to the advancing Baralai.

"Paine!" She shouted, streching a hand out.

"She can't save you now!" He twisted one end of his staff and drew a long, thin katana from the shaft. He dropped the useless staff to the ground and advanced more, drawing the blade up. "No one can save you!" He continued. Rikku crawled backwards, trying to get away. She couldn't stand, her legs wouldn't let her. Her weapons were too far away. Paine couldn't help her. The only thing she could do was try to roll away. She dove to the side and tried rolling. Baralai jumped in front of her and kicked her across the side of the head, the blow rendering her unconcious.

Baralai smiled as her readed the sword for a plant into Rikku's exposed chest.

"All." He began, getting his aim straight. "Too." He continued, poising his legs for balance. "Easy." He finished, driving the blade into Rikku's chest.

"_RIKKU, NO_!" Paine shouted, her mouth still operational. Blood flowed from the wound in the Al Bhed's chest and pooled under her. Her breathing slowed, and eventually stopped. Baralai smiled. Paine's entire body shook. Visably shook. She gripped her hands into fists and stood, fighting the spell Baralai had cast on her. "You... you..." Her voice was trembling as she spoke. "You bastard!" She finished, drawing her sword up.

"Now, now, now! No need for that!" He swung once, knocking Paine's sword away. It slid across the floor and fell down the cliff silently. "We're alone, Paine. You and I, like it's supposed to be. The two of us. Together..." He smiled, wrapped an arm around Paine's waist and pulled her closer. "Forever." He moved in to kiss her. Looming Glacier wore off in time for Paine to bring her knee up, rather hard, into Baralai's groin. He reacted, hunching over and grabbing his hurting balls.

"You sick, psychotic bastard! Why can't you see that anything I held for you is gone?! GONE! You lost me, Baralai! LIVE WITH IT! I moved on! Why can't you do the same?!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face, showering the ground below her with every movement, despite how subtle it might be. Baralai stood, gripping his throbbing groin for several more seconds before answering.

"You're so cute when you're made, Paine." He smiled through his pain. "But..." He continued. "You're right. I have moved on. Now that she's out of the way, there's no one to help you!" He sprung up and grabbed Paine around her neck, lifting her up. His strength was deceptive. "Time for you to die!" He began walking towards the cliff with Paine in a dibilitating neck hold. She clawed at his arm, face, anything to get him off her. She tried breathing but that was impossible. He had her just before the cliff when...

BANG! A single gunshot rang out in the cavern. Baralai's right shoulder exploded in a shower of bone. Paine felt something pierce her left shoulder and exit the other side. Both people cried out in anguish. Paine, taking the opportunity, barrel-rolled out of the way. Eleven more gunshots echoed across the cave, each one striking Baralai in some place. Paine looked to see who her rescuer was.

"Yuna?" She asked. She had trouble making any difinitive shape out past the tears in her eyes.

"It's me, Paine. You're safe now." Yuna spoke, running to her side. She holstered the gun and picked Paine up, resting the silver-haired woman on her lap. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Rikku..." Was all Paine replied. She struggled to look over where Rikku was lying, blood pouring from her chest. "Is she... Is she dead?" Paine asked. She felt small droplets of water fall and land on her forehead. It seemed the Yuna realized that her cousin had met with an untimely, and rather tragically painful end.

"I... she..." Yuna sniffled, trying to speak. "She... She's dead, Paine." She lifted the red eyed woman up to standing and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry..." Yuna muttered, closing her eyes. Paine only cried. It had been some time since she had cried for any good reason, but this seemed like as good a time as any. "Come on, Buddy's waiting outsi-" Yuna was cut off by a sharp pain in her stomach. The silence was pierced by the distinct sound of metal scraping against flesh and bone. Yuna's eyes snapped open as she looked down across Paine's back. An ornate handle was embedded deep into Paine's back, and consequently, Yuna's chest.

"I... I'll take you to hell with me!" Baralai choked out, his hand poised as though he threw something. Paine backed up, pulling the blade from Yuna's chest. She gripped the bloodied edge with the palms of her hands and pulled, yanking the handle out through her chest. She gripped it in her right hand, staggering painfully to Baralai.

"You... You ba...bastard!" She groaned, bringing the edge down over his neck, his head disconnecting and rolling freely. She dropped the sword and fell to her knees, blood pouring like a waterfall from her chest, spilling out and forming blurry shapes on the ground. It wasn't long before there wasn't enough blood in her system to keep her alive.

Yuna saw this show of heroics from Paine and called up Buddy.

"B...Buddy. Emergency... Emergency Pick up!" She coughed out, trying to keep her blood in her body with her hand. She was failing. She limped her way back up to the surface.

-Zanarkand Ruins; Surface-

The Celsius landed in a clearing and Brother and Buddy came running out. By this point, Yuna was literally crawling on all fours, a trail of blood pouring from her chest, tracing her path back to the lower ruins. She managed to get right to the boarding ramp, before collapsing.

"Yuna!?" Buddy shouted, shaking her. "What in the living shit happened down there?!" he continued to shake her. "_YUNA?!_" He continued.

She never woke up.

-End.-

Final Author's Note: I'm an evil demon. And I'm going to hell.


End file.
